On Monday, February 23, U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Mark Warner will introduce the bipartisan Access to Fair Financing for Opportunity and Resilient Development (AFFORD) Act, which contains four provisions enhancing federal support of CDFIs. Particularly key among these for Native CDFIs are the Scaling Community Lenders Act (which would increase the liquidity and lending velocity of Native CDFIs nationwide), and Section 301 of the Rural Housing Service Reform Act of 2025 (which would make the highly successful USDA Section 502 Native CDFI pilot relending program permanent, expand it nationally, and authorize $50 million for the program). These provisions – which were featured in a widely supported amendment that nearly made it into the final National Defense Authorization Act package passed by Congress in December – will catalyze the impacts of Native CDFIs in fostering small business development, housing development and homeownership, and overall economic growth in Tribal communities.

Riley O’Leary, Legislative Assistant for Senator Daines, will join NCN on this webinar to provide an overview of the AFFORD Act and how Native CDFIs and their partners can engage members of Congress to support and ultimately pass this vital legislation.